Author Topic: Friday beer 9/4 edition (Read 4879 times)

JimR · « **on:** September 04, 2009, 03:50:49 pm »

anyone had Avery Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest? i thought it was great, but two of them kicked my ass at the end of a Gingerman outing.

GreatBagwellsBeard · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2009, 04:23:49 pm »

Not yet, Coach. Are they selling it in bottles, too, or is it tap-only?

Today's selection: a lingering St. Arnold's Summer Pils. Refrescos!

Matt · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2009, 04:49:19 pm »

Anyone heard anything about a new brewery out of Conroe called Southern Star?

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2009, 05:17:40 pm »

Quote from: GreatBagwellsBeard on September 04, 2009, 04:23:49 pm

Not yet, Coach. Are they selling it in bottles, too, or is it tap-only?

Today's selection: a lingering St. Arnold's Summer Pils. Refrescos!

You know, I'm not really a St. Arnold's fan, but I do like the Summer Pils.

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2009, 05:18:41 pm »

Quote from: JimR on September 04, 2009, 03:50:49 pm

anyone had Avery Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest? i thought it was great, but two of them kicked my ass at the end of a Gingerman outing.

Have not tried the AKI Okto, but my choices out here in the Tall City are limited. I'm not even aware of a pending Octoberfest celebration out here. I *do* enjoy the Marzen style, so I have a feeling I'd enjoy it immensely. Perhaps on my next conjugal visit to Houston...

austro · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:46:19 pm »

We had some engineers from Germany visiting this week, so for this afternoon's Friday afternoon beer session I acquired some Ayinger, Aventinus, and Spaten Oktoberfest, as well as some of our usual fare (Fireman's, Blue Heron, others). I think they enjoyed it, and I know I did.

JimR · « **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2009, 10:01:56 am »

Avery Kaiser is in 22 oz. bottles at Spec's. delicious and potent.

Ayinger Oktoberfest and Aventinus are at the top of my list. i love them.

chandler44 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2009, 10:14:04 pm »

I couldn't find any Ayinger Oktoberfest at our local Spec's down here in the boondocks, but I"ll have to pick some up in a couple weeks when I'm up in Austin.

I'm enjoying a six pack of Warsteiner Dunkel this weekend. It's the first time I've had it, and I'm really enjoying it. I think the Dunkel style is running a fairly close second to Marzen as my favorite type of beer.

T. J. · « **Reply #8 on:** September 06, 2009, 10:11:59 am »

Quote from: Matt on September 04, 2009, 04:49:19 pm

Anyone heard anything about a new brewery out of Conroe called Southern Star?

I really like their Bombshell Blonde. Didn't care a whole lot for their pale ale though. They sell their product in cans only, I believe.

gleach · « **Reply #9 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:23:11 am »

Anybody buy any of the St. Arnold's Divine Reserve today?

Trey · « **Reply #10 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:27:11 am »

Quote from: gleach on September 10, 2009, 11:23:11 am

Anybody buy any of the St. Arnold's Divine Reserve today?

I called Spec's Arbor Walk last night and was told they'd have it today. I went and they did not. I was told "tomorrow". The people at Grapevine didn't know when they'd have it.

gleach · « **Reply #11 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:45:56 am »

They had a line at Spec's downtown Houston this morning. And I was told my local spec's would have some after 12:00. But I am in Houston.

Frobie · « **Reply #12 on:** September 10, 2009, 03:00:40 pm »

From a Chronicle blog:

Quote

Well, that didn't take long. The downtown Spec's sold out its supply of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 8 in just 21 minutes this morning. Restricting customers to just two six-packs apiece did little to stave off the inevitable. (I confess to picking up a pair myself; it was $32.45 well spent.)

I like Saint Arnold's beers and enjoyed DRs #5 and #6 (missed out on #7), but this is just nuts.

Still hoping I will be able to snag some of the #8 tonight at a smaller Spec's or grocery store, but if I don't I will not scour the city looking for it. Previous versions have been good but not that good (IMHO).

Glad to see the brewery doing so well, though.

Trey · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2009, 03:05:13 pm »

Quote from: Frobie on September 10, 2009, 03:00:40 pm

From a Chronicle blog:

I like Saint Arnold's beers and enjoyed DRs #5 and #6 (missed out on #7), but this is just nuts.

Still hoping I will be able to snag some of the #8 tonight at a smaller Spec's or grocery store, but if I don't I will not scour the city looking for it. Previous versions have been good but not that good (IMHO).

Glad to see the brewery doing so well, though.

They're posting notices of where they have some on their twitter feed @SaintArnold .

It's good stuff and "the chase" is part of the fun. That being said, it's not unheard of for a several cases to end up in random HEB's weeks after it is "sold out".

gundy315 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:02:09 pm »

I have had good luck finding supplies of DR at Whole Foods on Holcombe/Bellaire in Houston. I haven't started the hunt for today's release, though.

Trey · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2009, 12:40:31 pm »

Quote from: gundy315 on September 10, 2009, 04:02:09 pm

I have had good luck finding supplies of DR at Whole Foods on Holcombe/Bellaire in Houston. I haven't started the hunt for today's release, though.

Just got a six pack at Whole Foods North.

GreatBagwellsBeard · « **Reply #16 on:** September 11, 2009, 02:29:49 pm »

Beer? I'm still on a bourbon kick, and tonight's choice is going to be my new bottle of Old Rip van Winkle. After sampling it this week at Anvil, it's hands-down the best bourbon I've ever had, better than Blanton's. Smokey, with some vanilla. It's fantastic.

Bench · « **Reply #17 on:** September 11, 2009, 02:37:09 pm »

The other day, I spent a full fifteen minutes at the the make-your-own-six-pack station in the new HEB Buffalo Market.

austro · « **Reply #18 on:** September 11, 2009, 04:50:38 pm »

Quote from: Bench on September 11, 2009, 02:37:09 pm

The other day, I spent a full fifteen minutes at the the make-your-own-six-pack station in the new HEB Buffalo Market.

Is that the new store at Buffalo Speedway and Bissonet? I haven't been down to Houston since maybe May, so I wasn't sure how it was progressing.

hostros7 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:00:36 pm »

Quote from: Bench on September 11, 2009, 02:37:09 pm

The other day, I spent a full fifteen minutes at the the make-your-own-six-pack station in the new HEB Buffalo Market.

The other day I was in HEB or somewhere buying beer, and the clerk told me that high school kids were loading up the St. Arnold's root beer six pack case with regular beer and checking out in the self-help line. Kids these days...so much ingenuity. In my day, the closest we got has having the Asian sales clerk at the Circle K put the beer in coke 12 packs. Pioneers.

Bench · « **Reply #20 on:** September 11, 2009, 06:15:36 pm »

Quote from: austro on September 11, 2009, 04:50:38 pm

Is that the new store at Buffalo Speedway and Bissonet? I haven't been down to Houston since maybe May, so I wasn't sure how it was progressing.

Yep. It's a fairly awesome grocery store. The inner loop has been lacking in those.

Bench · « **Reply #21 on:** September 12, 2009, 12:44:05 pm »

Does the spec's key card accomplish anything?

JimR · « **Reply #22 on:** September 12, 2009, 01:07:16 pm »

Quote from: Bench on September 12, 2009, 12:44:05 pm

Does the spec's key card accomplish anything?

i'd like to know this too.

BizidyDizidy · « **Reply #23 on:** September 12, 2009, 01:11:42 pm »

I thought you had to have it to get sale prices...

Ron Brand · « **Reply #24 on:** September 12, 2009, 03:32:56 pm »

Quote from: Bench on September 12, 2009, 12:44:05 pm

Does the spec's key card accomplish anything?

It doesn't accomplish a whole lot. From the Spec's web site:

Quote

What is the Spec's Key and why participate?
The Spec's Key is the key to our frequent shopper program. The key itself will fit onto your key ring so that it is always with you and does not require keeping up with a card of finding another card in your wallet or purse.

The initial use of the key is to identify a customer as one of our regulars so that some of the customary and bothersome questions can be stopped to speed up the check out process. We know that when you are ready to check out, you are ready to go and get out as quickly as possible. When a person has a Spec's Key, we no longer ask for identification with a check or credit card unless the purchase is large. The key does that process while the cashier is scanning other products. Speeding up our checkouts and lessening the bothersome quizzing of our regular customers by new cashiers was our motivation to install this costly system.

What else can I get out of using the Key?
We now have gone to our vendors and asked for special discounts to give to our frequent and best customers. They all like to do that because they know the discounts are going to the consumer they want to attract for their products. Many of you must like the idea because the first beer on the program tripled in sales the first month. You discovered it and that is just what the new supplier wanted to do. The discounts are all over the store and the number of them is growing each month. They are labeled on the shelves with a yellow tag that says, "Key Special" and the amount of discount is shown. A complete list of items can be found on our website listed under "Specials."

What are the points about and how can they get used?
The Spec's Key points are really an in-house tool for us when it comes to the distribution of allocated wines. We receive several highly sought-after wines each year in very limited quantities. We needed a way to insure that our everyday, loyal customer got first chance to acquire these wines over the customer who would shop with us only when allocated wines were released. Now when a limited-quantity wine comes in, we run a report based on Key points. The customers with the highest points are called first.

What else can I do with points?
Discounts for tastings, dinners and wine classes are often available as well. Notification of these types of events goes out via email, so it's very important that we have up to date email addresses for anyone who wants to stay "in the loop."

A final word about points.
The Spec's Key was designed for identification purposes to speed along a customer's sale and to aid in the disposition of allocated wines. The points allotted to merchandise were a means to give us a benchmark for customers in relation to allocated wines. They were never meant to indicate the possibility of free alcoholic merchandise. If allocated wines don't interest you, then the "points" feature of our Key is meaningless for you. On the other hand, if you are a collector of hard to get wines, the system we have in place will reward those of you who shop with us on a regular basis.

JimR · « **Reply #25 on:** September 12, 2009, 04:22:31 pm »

how does one find out about discounts?

BudGirl · « **Reply #26 on:** September 12, 2009, 04:28:47 pm »

i get emails from spec's all the time that i don't read. maybe that is how?

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #27 on:** September 13, 2009, 07:58:33 am »

Quote from: JimR on September 12, 2009, 04:22:31 pm

how does one find out about discounts?

They're often marked at the display too. I occasionally save a couple bucks.